Top Interviewing Tips for Managers: Do’s and Don’ts

Introduction

Conducting the interview or giving the interview both are daunting tasks. When it comes to hiring managers, the interview process can be nerve-racking, especially if the hiring manager is recruiting for the first time. Recruiting desperately is not a good practice as by doing so, there are high chances of picking the wrong candidate for the role. Recruiters have to make sure that the newly hired candidate is the perfect one. This post showcases some best interviewing tips for managers that are divided into do’s and don’ts.

Do’s

Here is the rundown of the tips managers should count on while interviewing candidates. These do’s will certainly help the recruiters in selecting the right and talented candidate for the respective organization.

1. Review the resume first

This is obvious, but managers must go over the candidate’s resume to quickly check if the individual meets the basic expectations. The managers of the organization need to have some criteria so as to filter the candidates accordingly. For instance, if the job profile demands a highly experienced candidate who can manage the project independently, then going through the cover letter of the individual who is a fresher would be a waste of time. Before reviewing the resume, the managers need to have a clear mind of what skills, education, and experience the preferred candidate should have. Once the recruiter picks the talented candidate, then the time comes for providing the basic details of the interview to the shortlisted ones.

2. Welcome the interviewer

Right before the interview, managers must scan the resume once again to refresh their memory. After that, when the candidate appears for the interview, the manager should appear welcoming. There is no doubt that no matter how experienced a candidate is, showing up for an interview makes anyone nervous. As the candidate would be anxious, it is always better for the manager to make the candidate feel at ease. Now the question arises: how the interviewer should behave at first? The tip is to have a smile and take a few minutes before jumping into the questions. Talk a bit and tell the candidate about the process of the interview. Keeping it aside, the manager should make sure not to get over-friendly as it is a professional setup.

3. Make a list of questions

The managers often ask skill-based questions and make hiring on the basis of the answers. Later managers regret that the hired candidate isn’t the perfect fit. Here’s what managers should do: create a list of skill-based and culture-based questions. Hiring a candidate that gives ultimate answers to the questions for the required profile is essential. But asking culture-based and behavioral questions is also vital. Managers can verbally ask such questions or give a quick question set with multiple answers to the interviewee. Apart from saving the time of recruiters, these questions will also let the interviewer understand the mindset of the candidates. Further, managers can make the hiring depending on whose value matches the company’s ethics.

4. Jot down the things

This is one of the smartest tactics managers should count on. As these individuals would be interviewing some candidates for a role, it becomes difficult to recall which one gave the best answer for the particular question. The tip is that while interviewing, managers can quickly scribble down the answer next to a point on the candidate’s resume. Once the interview is over, managers should gather all their thoughts and jot them down on paper. Doing a brain dump after every session will help managers compare different candidates and hire the right one in the end. Jotting down things is of utmost importance because managers interview many candidates, and remembering everything about each candidate is not at all possible.

5. Trust the gut instincts

Gut feeling is often right, and managers should make sure to rely on the vibes. How the candidates appear on paper and in a face-to-face meeting is something managers should take into consideration. Sometimes, job seekers add fake details on their resumes about projects done in the past, just to impress managers. If candidates are asked questions related to the projects mentioned in the resume, and if any individual is not able to give a satisfactory answer, then it is a clear red signal. On the other hand, if things go well during the entire interview process and the manager is still not sure about a particular candidate, then doing some investigation or background check is crucial.

Do’s and don’ts

Don’ts

Listed below is the list of the strict don’ts managers should never do in the process of interviewing candidates. Recruiters need to make sure to keep these things in mind while observing the interviewees.

1. Do not be too serious

The managers have to be serious during the interview because these individuals represent the company. Further, being too serious will not only give a negative impression to the candidates but will also make the interviewees more nervous. Not being too serious can be defined in several ways. For instance, the manager screens the candidates because of a typo in the resume. This type of screening is flawed. Another instance is if an interviewee showed up in casual attire instead of formal attire. Some managers take this into consideration. The point is that managers should not take such minor things too seriously as these petty details do not reflect the actual personality type of the candidate.

2. Do not talk too much, ask questions

The task of managers is to screen the candidates by asking job-related and behavioral-based questions. That said, these individuals should stick to the particular question set only. Of course, doing small talk before starting the interview will keep the candidate at ease, but overtaking is something managers should never do. While interviewing, managers must not ask inappropriate and personal questions. If a candidate has a career gap, then it is the right of the manager to ask about it but getting an in the depth of personal answer is not at all a good idea. Candidates are not comfortable revealing their personal life to recruiters.

3. Do not be quick to judge

Not all managers do this, but some still have a parasite of judging candidates based on race and color. Managers should get over the biases and screen the candidates according to their performance in the interview. The point is that a good hiring manager never judges candidates on the basis of race, color, religion, and nationality. Further, some managers may quickly perceive the candidate as not perfect if the individual stutters or feels very nervous during the interview. It is okay if any candidate is uncomfortable and sweating badly during the process. Some candidates/people are sensitive, and managers should be expert enough to observe this trait. In such cases, the manager must talk to and calm the candidate. If needed, hiring managers can call the candidate for the second round of interviews. The crux is recruiters should never judge quickly.

4. Do not put stress on the candidate

Giving an interview is indeed stressful for the interviewee. In fact, such individuals feel uneasy if the manager puts more stress while interviewing. There is no denying that taking interviews is also a tough task as managers have to hire the best candidate who can bring value to the company. But it does not mean that managers make the interview taxing for the interviewee. For instance, a sales representative has a stressful job, and if the hiring manager has to fill up this position, then tasks should be given accordingly. This does not give the license to the managers to put the candidate on a hectic task to see how well the individual can perform under stress. Be gentle and stay professional with the interviewees.

5. Do not put the candidates on hold

Hiring is tough, and recruiters have to interview many candidates to fill a particular job profile. In the interviewing process, candidates are often put on hold. That said, managers do not update the candidates on whether the position is filled or not. Usually, after taking the interview, recruiters say to the interviewees that they will get the response in a few days. These candidates keep waiting for a week and get no response. Managers should respect such individuals and should give an update if the individual is selected or not. The candidates will appreciate it and will look forward to giving interviews with other companies. So, updating the candidate is essential.

Ending note

These interviewing tips for managers are the proven ways of hiring the right candidate for the organization. There is no doubt that hiring is tricky, and managers have to screen the candidate and shortlist the top ones for the interview. The process can be time-consuming. Managers can save time by picking talented candidates from a plethora of job seekers on Uphires. 

Feel free to browse the site and hire a skilled candidate for the business. The bonus point is that new employers can even hire a recruiter on this portal who can further take up the task of hiring candidates to fill the multiple roles in the new organization.